Ch. 2 Sociology

D

"A statement of a possible relationship between two or more variables" is the definition of which concept? A) theory B) spurious correlation C) correlation D) hypothesis

True

"Statistical evidence" may or may not be the same as truth.

False

Interpretive sociology considers subjective feelings to be a source of bias.

False

Sociological research can never be harmful to subjects.

False

Sociologists always achieve complete personal objectivity in their work.

True

Validity refers to actually measuring what you want to measure.

True

A closed-ended questionnaire format generally makes it easier to analyze research data 32) compared to an open-ended questionnaire format.

True

A false correlation between two variables caused by a third variable is described as a "spurious" correlation.

True

A positivist approach assumes that an objective reality exists "out there."

True

A random sample is likely to represent the population from which it is drawn.

C

A researcher doing participant observation may often "break in" to a setting more easily with the help of a A) research assistant. B) longer questionnaire. C) key informant. D) bigger budget.

B

A small number of people that are used to represent a much larger population is called a A) target group. B) sample. C) sampling frame. D) closed-format group.

True

A survey is a research method in which subjects respond to a series of statements or questions

B

A theory states that increasing a person's formal higher education results in increased earnings over the individual's lifetime. In this theory, "higher education" is the A) correlation. B) independent variable. D) dependent variable. C) effect.

False

A variable that causes change in another variable is called the "dependent variable."

False

A variable that is changed by another variable is called the "independent variable."

A

All of the following statements-except for one-are guidelines for ethical research endorsed by the American Sociological Association. Which one is NOT one of the ASA's guidelines for ethical research? A) Researchers must always perform their research several times in order to ensure its accuracy. B) Researchers must protect the privacy of subjects taking part in a research project. C) Researchers must ensure the safety of subjects taking part in a research project. D) Researchers must disclose their sources of funding for the research.

A

An apparent, although false, association between two variables that is caused by a third variable is called A) a spurious correlation. B) an unreliable correlation. C) an unproven correlation. D) an invalid correlation.

True

Baltzell found that a surprisingly large number of high-achieving people in our country's history came from the Boston area.

True

Carrying out research on Hispanic people, Asian people, or people of any distinctive ethnicity or 26) category demands that researchers be sensitive to how subjects will interpret their words andactions.

False

Conducting interviews with 100 college students in a course would take no more time than 33) having them all complete a questionnaire when they come to class.

D

Critical sociology can best be described as a(n) ________ approach. A) scientific B) value-free C) qualitative D) activist

True

Critical sociology studies society and tries to bring about social change.

D

Deductive logical thought involves A) selecting a research method based on available resources. B) transforming specific observations into general theory. C) doing research about the past. D) turning theories into hypotheses suitable for testing.

B

E. Digby Baltzell's historical study, Puritan Boston and Quaker Philadelphia, illustrates which research method? A) the experiment B) secondary analysisC) the survey D) participant observation

B

E. Digby Baltzell's study,Puritan Boston and Quaker Philadelphia, showed that a very high number of "top achievers" listed in theDictionary of American Biography came from A) Philadelphia. C) the South. B) Massachusetts. D) Pennsylvania

False

Empirical evidence is what people in a society agree is true.

True

Empirical evidence refers to what we can verify with our senses.

C

Examine the following series of numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10. What is the median value? A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4

True

Gender blindness is the problem of failing to consider the importance of gender in sociological 24) research.

A

If you have been criticized for "androcentricity" in your research, you are being criticized for A) doing the research from a male perspective. B) overgeneralizing your results. C) ignoring gender entirely. D) using double standards in your research.

D

If you read a study that draws conclusions about all of humanity based on research using only males as subjects, you would correctly point to the problem called A) gender blindness. B) androcentricity.C) using double standards. D) overgeneralization.

D

If you were to conduct sociological research that closely follows the logic of science, which research method would you most likely use? A) interviews B) questionnaires C) participant observation D) the experiment

C

If you were trying to measure the "social class" of various people, you would have to keep in mind that A) you must measure "social class" in every way possible. B) there is no way to measure "social class." C) it is necessary to specify exactly what you are measuring. D) everyone agrees on what "social class" means.

B

Imagine that you are repeating research done by someone else in order to assess the accuracy. You are doing which of the following? A) objectification B) replication C) scientific control D) reliability

A

Imagine that you were going to measure the age of a number of respondents taking part in a survey. As you record the data, you are using the concept "age" as A) a variable. B) an axiom. C) a hypothesis. D) a theory.

B

In a questionnaire, asking respondents to identify their income level from a number of possible categories represents which of the following? A) a qualitative question format B) a closed-ended question format C) an interview question format D) an open-ended question format

D

In a questionnaire, the question, "Please state your opinions about the likelihood of another major terrorist attack at home," is an example of which of the following? A) experimental design B) dependent variable C) closed-ended format D) open-ended format

A

In making judgments about how society should be improved, the ________ approach in 74) sociology rejects Max Weber's goal that researchers should be value-free. A) critical B) positivist C) interpretive D) scientific

C

In the process of measurement, reliability refers to A) whether you are really measuring what you want to measure. B) whether or not everyone agrees with the study's results.C) whether repeating the measurement yields consistent results. D) how dependable the researcher is.

B

Inductive logical thought involves A) doing research about the past. B) transforming specific observations into general theory. C) selecting a research method based on available resources. D) turning theories into hypotheses suitable for testing.

False

Inductive logical thought turns theory into testable hypotheses.

True

Interpretive sociology focuses less on action itself and more on the meaning people attach to 19) their actions.

C

Interpretive sociology is sociology that A) sees an objective reality "out there." B) seeks to bring about change. C) focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior. D) focuses on action.

False

Just walking up to people on the street is a convenient and correct way to generate a random sample.

True

Karl Marx founded the critical orientation in sociology.

B

Lois Benjamin's investigation of racism may be criticized because A) her sample included as many white people as African Americans. B) her sample may not be representative of all African Americans. C) she conducted her interviews over the telephone.

C

Lois Benjamin's research on the life experiences of high-achieving African Americans suggests that A) racism mainly affects lower-class African Americans.B) race has little to do with the life experiences of successful people. C) racism remains a burden even among privileged African Americans.D) race is now more of a barrier to African Americans than ever before in U.S. history.

C

Lois Benjamin's research shows that interviews A) do not require face-to-face contact with subjects. B) do not allow the researcher to ask follow-up questions. C) take a lot of time to complete. D) must always be conducted in a laboratory.

True

Max Weber urged sociologists to strive toward the goal of being value-free.

True

Natural scientists often have an easier time than social scientists when identifying cause-and-effect relationships.

A

One disadvantage of conducting interviews is that this research method A) may easily allow the researcher to influence subjects' responses. B) does not permit follow-up questions.C) does not allow subjects' answers to be detailed

False

Participant observation is a research method by which researchers stand back from a setting, watch from a distance, and then carefully record the behavior of others.

False

Participant observation research is usually explanatory, which means that it identifies cause and effect relationships.

B

Qualitative research has special appeal to investigators who favor which theoretical approach? A) the social-exchange approach B) the symbolic-interaction approach C) the structural-functional approach D) the social-conflict approach

True

Reliability refers to the quality of consistency in measurement.

True

Replication is one way to assess the accuracy of existing research.

B

Science can be defined as a A) belief based on faith in ultimate truth. B) logical system that bases knowledge on direct, systematic observation. C) belief based on a society's traditions. D) logical system that bases truth on political goals.

C

Science can be defined as a A) belief based on faith in ultimate truth. B) logical system that bases truth on political goals.C) logical system that bases knowledge on direct, systematic observation. D) belief based on a society's traditions.

True

Science is a logical system that is based on intuition and insight.

False

Scientific sociologists make use of what Max Weber called "verstehen" in order to make sense of 20) their surroundings.

D

Sociologists cannot precisely predict any person's behavior because A) human behavior is highly complex and has many causes. B) humans may respond to the presence of an observer in unexpected ways.C) social patterns that are found in one time and place may not be found in others. D) All of these are correct.

D

Sociologists use the term "empirical evidence" to refer to A) information that squares with common sense. B) information that is based on a society's traditions. C) information that most people agree is true.D) information we can verify with our senses.

B

Sociologists use the term "empirical evidence" to refer to A) information that squares with common sense. B) information we can verify with our senses. C) information that most people agree is true. D) information that is based on a society's traditions.

B

The ability to neutralize the effect of one variable in order to assess the relationship between two other variables is called A) causing the correlation. B) control.C) making the correlation reliable. D) making the correlation spurious.

C

The ideal of objectivity means that a researcher must A) not personally care about the topic being studied. B) carry out research that will encourage desirable social change.C) try to adopt a stance of personal neutrality toward the outcome of the research. D) study issues that have no value to society as a whole.

False

The logic and methodology of science guarantee that sociological research will result in 18) objective, absolute truth.

False

The mean is always a better statistical measure than the mode or the median

C

The sociological perspective reveals that A) "common sense" is usually pretty close to the truth. B) most people in the United States readily see how society shapes our lives. C) much of what passes for "common sense" in the United States turns out to be at least partly wrong. D) "common sense" is not very popular in the United States.

C

The sociological perspective reveals that A) most people in the United States readily see how society shapes our lives. B) "common sense" is not very popular in the United States. C) much of what passes for "common sense" in the United States turns out to be at least partly wrong. D) "common sense" is usually pretty close to the truth.

True

The sociologist recognizes that there are various kinds of "truth."

D

The sociologist who called on his colleagues to be "value-free" in the conduct of their research was A) Emile Durkheim. B) Herbert Spencer. C) Karl Marx. D) Max Weber.

True

The use of existing data and documents makes most historical research possible.

True

The very act of observing people may affect their behavior.

B

Three of the following statements below are part of the definition of a cause-and-effect relationship. Which statement is NOT a part of the definition? A) There must be no evidence that the correlation is spurious. B) Both variables must be shown to be independent. C) The two variables must display correlation.D) The independent variable must come before the dependent variable in time.

A

Three researchers wish to test the effects of playing soft music during an exam on the test performance of their sociology students. They conduct an experiment in which one test-takingclass hears music and another does not. In experimental terms, the class hearing the music iscalled A) the experimental group. B) the placebo.

True

To identify cause-and-effect relationships, it is usually necessary to exercise experimental control of variables.

True

Two simple requirements that underlie the process of sociological investigation are (1) looking at the world using the sociological perspective and (2) becoming curious and asking questions.

D

Two variables are said to display correlation if A) one occurs before the other. C) both measure the same thing. B) they are caused by the same factor. D) they vary together.

A

What is the term for the value that occurs most often in a series of numbers? A) the mode B) the standard deviation C) the median D) the mean

C

What process involves deciding exactly what is to be measured when assigning value to a variable? A) conceptualizing B) validity C) operationalizating D) reliability

D

What research method was used in Philip Zimbardo's study, the "Stanford County Prison"? A) a survey B) secondary analysis C) participant observation D) an experiment

A

What term refers to any change in a subject's behavior that is caused by the awareness of being studied? A) the Hawthorne effect B) unreliable response C) invalid response D) the Stanford effect

B

What term refers to the arithmetic average of a series of numbers? A) the correlation B) the mean C) the mode D) the median

A

What term refers to the value that occurs midway in a series of numbers (that is, the middle case)? A) the median B) the mode C) the correlation D) the mean

False

When two variables are statistically related, a cause-and-effect relationship exists.

C

Which German word meaning "understanding" was used by Max Weber to describe his approach to sociological research? A) Verboten B) Gesellschaft C) Verstehen D) Gemeinschaft

A

Which of the concepts listed below refers to measuring exactly what one intends to measure? A) validity B) reliability C) congruence D) repeability

B

Which of the following is true about cause-and-effect relationships in the social world? A) Most patterns of behavior are random and have no cause at all. B) Most patterns of behavior are caused by many factors.C) Sociologists are not able to reach conclusions about cause and effect. D) Most patterns of behavior have a single cause.

C

Which of the following is true about scientific sociology? A) It seeks to bring about desirable social change. B) It favors qualitative data. C) It favors quantitative data. D) It focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior.

D

Which of the following statements about critical sociology is true? A) Critical sociology endorses the principle of being value-free. B) Critical sociology focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior. C) Critical sociology is based on Weber's principle ofverstehen. D) Critical sociology seeks to bring about desirable social change.

B

Which of the following terms is defined in the text as "a mental construct that represents some aspect of the world in a somewhat simplified form"? A) operationalization B) concept C) variable D) measurement

D

Which of the following terms is defined in the text as "a mental construct that represents some aspect of the world in a somewhat simplified form"? A) operationalization B) measurement C) variable D) concept

D

Which research method asks subjects to respond to a series of items in a questionnaire or an interview? A) an experiment B) secondary research C) participant observation D) a survey

A

William Foote Whyte's study of Cornerville (Street Corner Society) showed that A) Cornerville was a complex community that did not fit any simple stereotypes. B) Cornerville was a very dangerous slum.C) a Harvard sociologist was unable to work in a low-income community.

D

William Foote Whyte's study of Cornerville (Street Corner Society) used which sociological research method? A) experiment C) survey B) secondary analysisD) participant observation

D

With regard to the process of measurement, which of the following statements is true? A) All measurement is both reliable and valid. B) For measurement to be reliable, it must be valid. C) Measurement cannot be both reliable and valid. D) For measurement to be valid, it must be reliable.

B

You are doing research and you never stop to think about the possible importance of gender. Your work could be criticized for the problem called A) employing double standards. B) gender blindness. C) androcentricity. D) overgeneralization.

C

You wish to conduct an exploratory and descriptive study of people in a particular neighborhood. You have plenty of time, but you have little money or other resources. Whatresearch method should you use? A) a survey B) secondary analysis C) participant observation D) an experiment